Pakistan joins Moscow talks on Afghan tensions

Regional talks in Moscow

Pakistan took part in the eighth Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan on October 5, as tensions between Islamabad and Kabul kept rising. The Foreign Office said Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq and Pakistan's ambassador to Kabul represented the country. The Russia-led forum, launched in 2016, brings together Afghanistan, Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India and Central Asian states.

Why tensions are high

Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks inside Pakistan and has carried out strikes on what it calls militant hideouts in Afghanistan in recent weeks. The Taliban government denies harbouring militants, condemns the strikes and reports civilian casualties. The Russian embassy in Kabul said it was seriously concerned about the confrontation and its impact on civilians, including children.

Moscow offers its platform

Russia's special presidential representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said the dispute would be discussed and that Moscow was ready to help the two sides reach a reasonable compromise.

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Pakistan's position

A Foreign Office spokesperson said last week that Pakistan wants friendly relations with Afghanistan, but only if infiltration and activities of terrorist groups stop completely. Earlier mediation by Qatar, Türkiye and China produced temporary ceasefires and talks, yet tensions persisted. No joint outcome from the Moscow meeting had been reported at the time of writing. Pakistan blames the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan for a surge in attacks since 2021 and says durable peace depends on verifiable action against such groups. Kabul maintains that militancy is an internal Pakistani security matter.